Rutgers Getting 23.5 Points From Indiana in Homecoming Blackout Matchup
The short version
- FanDuel lists Rutgers as a 23.5-point underdog against Indiana for Saturday's homecoming game, which is also the blackout game.
- Kickoff is 8 p.m. at SHI Stadium; Big Ten Network has the broadcast.
- Rutgers is 1-3 after beating Howard 58-7 and losing 42-35 to USC in its past two games.
- Indiana is 4-0 and beat Howard, North Texas and Western Kentucky by a combined 145-16.
- Josh Hoover has completed 56 of 80 passes for 850 yards, 11 touchdowns and no interceptions this season.
FanDuel's spread makes Rutgers a big homecoming underdog against unbeaten Indiana, with the blackout game set for 8 p.m. Saturday on Big Ten Network.
Betting operator FanDuel has posted its line for Rutgers' homecoming contest, and the Scarlet Knights are getting 23.5 points from Indiana ahead of Saturday's Oct. 3 meeting. The reigning national champion Hoosiers supply the opposition for a date that also serves as Rutgers' blackout game.
Kickoff at SHI Stadium, the Scarlet Knights' home field, is scheduled for 8 p.m., with Big Ten Network carrying the broadcast. The evening start adds a night-game feel to a celebration that already pairs homecoming festivities with the blackout theme.
Rutgers arrives with a 1-3 record. After defeats against Boston College and UMass opened the season, the Knights pushed USC in a 42-35 final before rolling past Howard 58-7 last time out for their first win. Those most recent two Saturdays have produced the program's sharpest football of the year.
Quarterback Dylan Lonergan has driven much of the progress. Over the past two games, he has connected on 30 of 53 throws for 466 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions. Both picks arrived at inopportune moments and turned into 14 points for the opposition in a defeat the Knights ultimately dropped by seven.
The supporting cast has produced alongside him. Running back Antwan Raymond has picked up 262 yards on the ground, and wide receiver KJ Duff has added 217 more as a pass-catcher. The defense has also trended in a better direction, stringing together a handful of stops against a potent USC offense.
Indiana, by contrast, remains unbeaten. The Hoosiers were not at their sharpest in last week's win over Northwestern but still found a way past a game Wildcats side. That result followed three lopsided victories to open the season — over Howard, North Texas and Western Kentucky — decided by an aggregate count of 145-16.
Quarterback Josh Hoover has operated the Indiana attack with precision through four games, completing 56 of 80 passes for 850 yards, 11 touchdowns and no interceptions. The rushing workload belongs primarily to Lee Beebe Jr., whose 71 carries have produced a team-high 398 yards and three touchdowns while splitting touches with Turbo Richard, who left last week's game with an injury.
Through the air, Charlie Becker has emerged as the go-to option, leading Indiana with 19 receptions for 370 yards and six touchdowns. On the defensive side, Tobi Osusanmi paces the Hoosiers with three sacks, and Ryland Grandy sits first on the squad with two passes defended.
FanDuel's 23.5-point spread points to a wide gap between the two rosters as oddsmakers see it, even after Rutgers' improved form across its last two outings. That is the margin the Knights will attempt to erase when the matchup kicks off Saturday night.
Games to watch
